Hiking OUT of the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon has a varied animal population. I see just two types of animals- scorpions and deer. The scorpions are dead and on the trail, crushed by hiker’s boots. I see their glow with the black light option on my headlamp. I also see mule deer, peacefully grazing along the side of the path. I carry mace attached to my front pack strap just in case.

The hike to Cottonwood is easy and beautiful. Once at Cottonwood, I meet a man named Gabe whose hiking partner has just been airlifted out of the canyon. Gabe’s partner drank too much water. Apparently, you can throw off your electrolyte balance by drinking too much and not eating enough salty food. This is called hyponatremia. The distressed man threw up and his condition worsened beyond return. Gabe had to wander until he found a place where a single bar appeared on his cell phone. After his friend was airlifted, Gabe had to hike out of the canyon by himself. I offer for him to join us, but he decides that he isn’t sleeping until he is out of the canyon. He continues after a brief rest.

At this point, I give away food. Now that I am almost done, it is easier to judge how much food is needed. During the last evening at Cottonwood, we plan the most strenuous and stressful day of the hike. The elevation change from Phantom Ranch to Cottonwood is 1535 feet. The elevation change from Cottonwood to the rim is 4161 feet, three times the previous day. We are very concerned about this last physical feat and decide to leave at 4 am to be sure to beat the sun and heat. They say it takes twice as long to hike out as it does to hike down. We hope to be out of the canyon by 10 am.

You might wonder about the danger of hiking a precarious trail in the dark. Me too. I have a bright headlamp with many light options for optimal viewing. But yes, it is still unnerving to hear the echoes and noises of the canyon far below, but not be able to see the drop-off clearly. I rejoice at the dim lights of dawn peaking over the rim.

As the sun comes up and we get closer to the rim, the conversation gets heavier and more contemplative. At one point, there is a discussion of which would be more painful- dying by falling into the canyon yourself or watching a loved one fall in. The consensus is the latter would be worse.

I consider how exceptional Gatorade has been on this adventure. By luck, the grams of carbohydrate in the drink mix perfectly equal the calories burned. It is impossible to calculate this equation considering all of the factors involved. Exercise lowers blood sugar. Elevation affects calories burned. Gatorade increases blood sugar. Insulin altered by heat raises blood sugar. Dehydration raises blood sugar. Lack of sleep raises blood sugar. Stress raises blood sugar. I gambled, guessed, and won.

We make better time than we expect. As the rim nears, I am practically skipping. The weight of the stress of the trip slowly becomes lighter relative to the proximity the top. I am going to survive and could finally celebrate.

By 9 am, I am gleefully taking pictures in front of the map at the head of the trail. I am calling the hotel in Vegas to make a massage reservation. The conversation is now consumed by what to eat first, waffles or ice cream sundaes. I am happy, carefree, alive, and OUT.

We stop at the North Rim hotel, called the Grand Canyon Lodge and get ice cream cones. Overlooking the area where I hiked, I sit in a rocking chair on the back stone deck and eat my cone. There is an overlook vantage point where you can see the spot I stood at the Cottonwood Campground only five hours before. I have two pictures. In the first, I am in Cottonwood searching the rim above for the lookout with binoculars. In the second, I am looking down at the campground.

We drive back to Las Vegas with the convertible top down. In the passenger seat, I close my eyes and let my hair whip around my face. The cool air fills my lungs and I feel peaceful, satisfied, exhausted, and exhilarated. The stiffness of my muscles and joints is progressing. Vegas waits for me with a therapeutic massage, a decadent dinner, and an easy flight home the next morning.

I carry this story home with me as an emerging part of my personality. This adventure changes me by waking up my sleeping adventurer. It shows me that I can survive difficult circumstances, more so than I thought. I have confidence in my resilience and adaptability and my ability to sit with discomfort. It awakens a desire for more. And it gives me a size 11 man’s shoe, still stored in one of my memory boxes.